How Do You Train a Horse for Mounted Archery?

annijauhiainen
3 days ago
2 min read

Training a horse for mounted archery is not about teaching it to tolerate shooting.

It’s about building the right foundation first.

A horse that is relaxed, balanced, and responsive without rein contact will always be easier to train than one that relies on the rider’s hands for control.

This is where the process starts.

Before introducing any equipment, the horse should be able to:

move calmly in all gaits
maintain rhythm without rein contact
respond to seat and voice aids

Without this, problems usually appear later — often as tension or increasing speed when shooting begins.

Step 1: Foundation

The first phase is removing reliance on rein contact.

This is where the horse learns to move in balance and stay relaxed even when the rider’s hands are no longer controlling it.

This step is often underestimated, but it determines how the rest of the training will go.

Step 2: Ground Preparation

Next, the horse is introduced to the equipment from the ground.

This includes:

bow
arrows
sound of shooting

The goal is not just desensitisation, but understanding.

The horse should remain relaxed and uninterested, rather than simply “tolerating” the situation.

Step 3: Under Saddle with Equipment

Once the horse is comfortable on the ground, the same ideas are repeated from the saddle.

The rider begins to:

carry equipment
move arms
create motion above the horse

At this stage, there is still no shooting.

The focus is on keeping the horse relaxed while the rider’s movement changes.

Step 4: First Shots

Shooting begins from halt.

Then gradually:

walk
trot
canter

Each step is only added once the previous one feels calm and consistent.

If the horse reacts, the process simply moves one step back.

Step 5: The Track

Once everything works in a controlled environment, the training moves to a track.

This introduces:

direction
space
new surroundings

Again, the same progression is repeated — starting from simple and building up.

Step 6: Speed and Control

Only once the horse is fully relaxed with shooting does speed become part of the training.

A well-trained mounted archery horse should be able to:

move both slowly and fast
maintain the same speed without rein contact
stay mentally relaxed under pressure

Why This Matters

Most problems in mounted archery come from skipping steps.

If the horse associates shooting with tension, speed, or confusion, those patterns become difficult to fix later.

A systematic approach prevents this.

Want to See the Full Process?

This is exactly what the online course“Archery Horse Training: From Basics to Performance” covers in detail.

The course shows:

real training situations
over 10 different horses
different starting points and reactions
and how each horse is trained forward step by step

Not just the result — but the actual process.

👉 View the course:https://www.northarrow.fi/online-courses

👉 Access via the app:https://wix.app/mobile.apps/Ion3xMI?ref=cl

If you’re starting to train a horse for mounted archery — or want a clearer system — this is where to begin.